On The Front Lines Of The Cold War

The danger of participating in live-fire exercises and a Christmas spent in a military prison are described in detail in this graphic picture of military life at the height of the Cold War. "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an ’iron curtain’ has descended across the continent." These words, uttered by Winston Churchill in 1946, heralded the beginning of the Cold War. In this first-hand account of a NATO soldier, Terry Stoney Burke paints a graphic picture of military life at the height of the Cold War. From the trials and tribulations of basic training, through his progress of becoming an infantryman and explosive specialist, to his posting in Germany, his pull no punches narrative tells the sometimes humorous, often poignant, story of life as a common soldier. Cold War Soldieris not a book for veterans alone. Burkes explanations of military procedures, weapons, and army life strike a happy balance between reminding ex-servicemen of things they knew but may have forgotten, and creating a clear picture for the military novice.

Join the author as he and his young family live through their occasionally dangerous, sometimes hilarious but always fascinating adventures abroad. Feel the author's fear as his shirt is ripped off while escaping an enraged mob during riots and revolution in the Sudan. Travel with his wife as she and their three-year-old daughter and infant son are evacuated on the eve of war in the Middle East. Join them as they sway to the irresistible beat of the Samba in Rio. Marvel with them as they visit the Roman ruins of Jordan, the lush gardens and colorful temples of Bali, the tulips and historic sites of Holland and the exotic wildlife and scenery of East Africa. During the author's 23-year career as a Foreign Service Officer the United States was engaged in the dangerous "Cold War" rivalry with the Soviet Union. His job was to conduct public affairs programs designed to present America's side of the story and to persuade audiences that democracy and a free market economy work better than Communism. The author applies lessons learned during his Foreign Service career to many of the critical international issues facing America today, and provides guidelines enabling any citizen to arrive at a reasoned opinion on foreign policies in his special supplement, "JUDGING AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY." In his twice-decorated diplomatic career, Frederic Mabbatt (called "Tony" by family and friends) served, with his wife and two children, in The Sudan, Jordan, Brazil, Tanzania, Indonesia and The Netherlands. He and his wife Jean now live in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he applies lessons learned during his Foreign Service career to lecture and write about contemporary foreign policy issues. Mabbatt is a graduate of the University of San Diego and studied International Relations at San Diego State University. He served in the United States Marine Corps, worked as a copywriter for the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau and was Assistant Public Relations Director for the San Diego Zoo prior to his appointment to the Foreign Service on January 7, 1963.

A discussion of the history of the island of Quemoy during the Cold War.

As a correspondent for the International News Service, the Associated Press, and later for the New York Times, Seymour Topping documented on the ground the tumultuous events during the Chinese Civil War, the French Indochina War, and the American retreat from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In this riveting narrative, Topping chronicles his extraordinary experiences covering the East-West struggle in Asia and Eastern Europe from1946 into the 1980s, taking us beyond conventional historical accounts to provide a fresh, first-hand perspective on American triumphs and defeats during the Cold War era.